Measure AA – Allow City to Acquire Land for Affordable Housing

No matter who you are or where you come from, success in life starts at home. When we all have safe and secure places to live, parents earn more, kids learn better, health and well-being improve, our communities are strengthened, and our region has the building blocks to thrive. But right now, wealthy and powerful real estate developers and corporate landlords control the housing market in California and pour millions into each election to swing votes in their favor. They use predatory strategies to drive up their profits when ordinary working Californians can’t even afford our rent or our mortgages. This especially affects people of color, working families, seniors, and people with disabilities.

What’s more, current law makes it difficult for cities to acquire land for affordable housing. This law would make it easier. We need to support South San Francisco’s visionary approach of acquiring and converting land, and this measure can be a good example for cities around the Bay.